This invention relates generally to fishing reels and more particularly to a fly fishing reel which is lighter in weight by reason of an improved spool construction, has a new mechanism for controlling and stopping the free spinning of the spool during payout and retrieval of fishing line, and an improved drag system which co-acts with the mechanism for controlling the free spinning of the fishing line and operates to establish the force and tensions exerted by the spool on the fishing line, during payout of the fishing line when landing and/or netting a hooked fish.
The construction and operation of small and large arbor fly fishing reels are well known in the art. Drag assemblies in fly fishing reels with unidirectional acting bearings to enable a fly fishing line to be reeled in smoothly and to control the forces or pressures acting on the fishing line during payout from the spool of the fly fishing reel to prevent breakage of the fishing line are known to those skilled in this art, as indicated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,510,083; 6,354,526 and 6,550,709.
Thus, in Pat. No. '526 a single bearing fly fishing reel is shown having a generally U-shaped body or frame on which a drag mechanism is mounted. The drag mechanism has a transversely disposed shaft on which a sliding bearing is provided for rotatably supporting the spool. A roller clutch member couples the spool to the drag mechanism only when the fishing line is being cast or paid out from the spool. This patent discloses a “clicking mechanism” to provide a sound when the fishing line is being paid-out.
Devices for fishing reels to prevent the free payout of fishing line from the spool are also known, as indicated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,568,149; 2,324,324; 2,384,561; 3,799,472 and 5,374,002.
The present invention provides a lighter fly fishing reel because less weight aids in reducing fatigue so as to enable a user to extend the length of time they can enjoy fishing with a fly fishing rod utilizing the improved fly fishing reel of the present design. Lower weight is achieved by improving the design of the fishing reel for controlling the payout and retrieval of fishing line from the spool, providing a drag assembly operatively associated with this improved design for controlling payout and retrieval of the fishing line from the spool and by the reduction in the number of the operatively related parts for achieving these beneficial results.
Thus, the present invention provides an improved mechanism for controlling and stopping the free spinning of the spool during payout and retrieval of the fishing line from the spool when the drag assembly is not engaged but provides an operative drag assembly with a unidirectional roller clutch bearing for rotatably mounting the spool for adjusting the forces and tension acting on the fishing line to prevent rupture and breakage of the line during payout and landing or netting of a hooked fish.